Apple may introduce trade-in program for iPhones in China, Bloomberg reportsApple plans to launch a trade-in program for iPhones in China with FoxConn Technology, reports Bloomberg. According to people familiar with the effort, consumers will be able to take older iPhones to Apple stores for credit against the company's products as soon as March 31. Foxconn will buy and re-sell the phones as part of the program. Reference Link

Apple Watch yields low but are increasing, DigiTimes reportsApple Watch yields in Q1 are reportedly mostly below 50%, but supply chain makers have noted the yields are on the rise, reports DigiTimes. Total shipments are for the device during 2015 are expected to reach 15M after an initial 4M shipments in Q1. Due to low yields in assembly and overall production , makers estimate the device will see an initial 2-2.2M in shipments before its release in April. Reference Link

Apple, Beats working on streaming music service to rival Spotify, NY Times saysApple (AAPL) is working with Beats to introduce a subscription streaming service to compete directly with services such as Spotify, according to the New York Times, citing people briefed on the company’s plans. Additionally, Apple is expected to overhaul iTunes Radio, the free service that competes with Pandora (P), the Times added. Reference Link

Bernstein autos/US IT hardware analysts hold analyst/industry conference call0U.S. IT Hardware Sacconaghi and Global Autos Warburton discuss whether Apple is really considering building a car on an Analyst/Industry conference call on an Analyst/Industry conference call to be held on March 26 at 11 am.

Apple acquires FoundationDB, terms not disclosed, TechCrunch reportsFounadtionDB, a company specializing in speedy, durable NoSQL databases, has been acquired by Apple, TechCrunch reports. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, and a notice on FoundationDB's site says that it is no longer offering downloads of its database software. Reference Link

Samsung set to lead smartphone market in 2015, DigiTimes Research reportsSamsung (SSNLF) is set to lead the smartphone vendor rankings in 2015, reports DigiTimes Research. Samsung and Apple (AAPL) is expected to ship 330M and 230M smartphones, respectively in 2015, while Lenovoy (LNVGY) is set to up its shipments to 84M units. Reference Link

Apple May volatility elevated at 29 Apple March weekly call option implied volatility is at 22, April is at 21, May is at 29, June is at 25; compared to its 26-week average of 26.according to Track Data, suggesting large May price movement.

Apple awarded patent for GPS 'path sharing'The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded Apple patent number 8,989,773 which allows iPhone users to share GPS path data, enabling one user to see the physical path traveled by another user rather than just their current location. The patent also describes a "mirroring mode" which can replicate the screen of one iPhone onto the screen of another iPhone, allowing users to share the same map screen and zoom level. GPS data sharing would require approval by both iPhone users. Reference Link